The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-09-15
For The PROGRESSIVE FARMER
MOUNT HOLLY-ATLANTA-THE
PENITENTIARY AND "OUR
NEXT GOVERNOR"
LICK Loo STATION, Sept. 10, '87.

turnips and making a new pasture Q
my stock and I've not had the time.
But I've been reading and trying to
keep up, and what | missed, [ reckon
I got from All. Edwards. You know
1 told you in my first letter that ALT.
was coming to see me- =, Well, he come
over last Saturday. night a week ago
the first time he has been fq,home.
since [ wrote to you, and he had lots
to talk about. He was in Charlotte
the week of the Mount Holly Grange
Encampment, Annual Fair and Farm
ers' Institute, and said he saw big
crowds of disguised people: and that
they used some language that's not
found in Paul's writings, about the
thing. He said everybody agreed
that there was some: mighty good
speeches made, but he say two Of the
speakers and three editors and about
a dozen more, come down on the train
and they all made a straight shoot for
the hotel ; that they said that Mount
Holly had the biggest field, the hottest
sunshine, the biggest supply Of atmo-
sphere, and the least shade, the fewest
houses, the least water and the least to
eat Of any progressive town they ever
struck. They said that Mr.. Patrick
had worked mighty hard, and all the
papers of the State had been fooled
into giving the thing the biggest
blowing that anything had eve had
in the State except the exposition, and
they thought the railroad wouldn't
quite sell out all the lots it owns in
the promising little town-at least to
the people who went there to the
show.
"Well, what about all them North!
ern folks that was coming down on
the big excursions 2" | asked.
"Well, | asked about them" said
ALI, ".but if there was a single
Yankee come [ couldn't hear of it,"
There is a niger in the wood-pile,
in this business" says Alf., and when
the people get down to the bottom Of
this thing and see its true inwardness,
there is going to be a howl in the
camp, and don't you forget it. Rail
roads run some other things besides
engines and trains, sometimes" said
ALI, with a sort of knowing nod.
Then we got on the Atlanta Con-
vention, and ALI. said the people we're
much pleased with it, and that it be-
gun to look like the bottom rail is
getting on top.
Well, if we make good crops next
yearI am coming to your big owen
ton and bring Susan Jane and the
children. She wants them to see the
Capitol and the street cars and the
electric lights and see how city folks
live.
l asked Alf. who the people thought
would be
Jul NEXT GOVERNOR.
He said, "The woods are full of candi-
dates and the bosses are trying to boom
their favorites but he said it was too
soon. He said he heard of a fellow
once who bet that he could run and
Jump over a wide ditch, and to make
sure of it, he went back about a hun
dred yards and run with all his might,
and when he got there his little spind-
ling legs had give out and he didn't
try it. He was all broke down."
"And," said he, "when a lot of these
fellows get to the nominating conven-
ton, they will be out of breath and
their little legs will be too weak"
"The fact is" said he, "We've got to
have a new deal and new leaders and
new issues and new candidates."
Then he struck a match and lit his
cigar and uncrossed his legs and
turned round his chair and put his
elbows down on his knees and looked
me right square in the eye and says he
and he said it mighty slow and
solemn-says he:
"Let me tell you something: I've
been all the State !; I talk to merchants
and business men and farmers and all
sorts of people, and now I am going
to make a prediction The people are
going, hereafter, to have more to do
with nominations or they are going to
have less to do with elections, and our
little smart Alexis had better believe
it. They have stood bossism, turnkey
ism, upstartism, triggerism and tom
foolish just as long as they are going
to-"
Then he straighted up and motioned
his forefinger in my face and says he:
"Msmd what I tell you."-
Just then Susan Jane, who had
n